Swimming
Swimming pools
Downham Health and Leisure Centre
Forest Hill Pools
Glass Mill Leisure Centre
Wavelengths Leisure Centre
The swimming pool at Wavelengths is currently unavailable due to essential maintenance.
Learn to swim
Where you can learn to swim in the borough
There are five leisure centres in the borough where you can book swimming lessons. Visit their websites for prices, timetables and opening times.
You can also book lessons with the borough's swimming club, Saxon Crown.
All our swimming clubs and swimming lessons are delivered by qualified instructors from Swim England, the national governing body for swimming.
Find out what to expect from your swimming lessons.
Help your children gain confidence in the pool
The NHS has a range of tips and games to help you build your child's confidence, even before they have lessons.
Children aged 5 months to 4 years
These swimming lessons are a great first step and help children prepare for the next stage of swimming lessons. They are aimed at children aged 5 months to 4 years who are accompanied by an adult.
The sessions use guided games and activities to build water confidence and swimming skills.
Children aged 5 to 18 years
Children aged 5 and upwards are taught to swim without a parent in small groups. These lessons follow the ASA National Plan for teaching swimming and the children are assessed continually as they progress. They can gain badges and certificates for reaching each National Teaching Plan stage, as well as distance awards and skills based awards.
The National plan for teaching also teaches the fundamental principles of diving
Adults
It is never to late to learn to swim. Adults can learn to swim, or get help improving their swimming skills, technique and gain water confidence in either a group or one to one setting.
Lessons are not just for complete beginners, if you haven't swum for a long time, or just want to build your technique and strength in the water, there are lessons to suit your level and lifestyle. These lessons can take you through all swimming stages from complete beginner to the confident swimmer.
Some swimming courses for people aged 60 and over are available for as little as £1 per session.
Find out more about how swimming can be beneficial for health and wellbeing.
Swimming for people with disabilities
Disabled people of all ages can learn to swim with Saxon Crown Swimming Clubs dedicated disability swimming section. Tiger Sharks at Saxon Crown SC provide swimming lessons from complete beginners to competition level swimmers with any disability.
The teaching staff are fully qualified in teaching people with all forms of disability.
Learning to swim competitively
Many children who have learned to swim with Saxon Crown Swimming Club have gone on to represent Lewisham at regional, national and international swimming competitions. They have a Masters (over 18) section and a disability section, Saxon Crown Tiger Sharks.
People who learn to swim with Saxon Crown Swimming Club enjoy all the benefits of belonging to an affiliated club and have the opportunity to train for competition in all levels.
Saxon Crown swimming club
The borough swimming club, Saxon Crown, runs sessions at several locations.
Past and present club members have progressed from learning to swim within the club to national, regional and county champions and competitors.
The club is also proud to have trained a number of swimmers who have represented the UK and hold British records.
Saxon Crown believes in being as wide-ranging as possible and is one of the few clubs with dedicated squads and groups for disabled swimmers fully integrated within the club structure.
Free swimming for disabled residents
Who can swim free of charge?
You can swim for free if you are a resident and have a disability and are receiving disability benefits (you will need to register for the Be Active scheme at your local leisure centre).
How does free swim work?
1. Choose where you want to swim
You can swim at any of our pools in the borough.
2. Check the timings for free swimming
Each of our swimming pools is offering free swim sessions at different times of the day.
If you are a resident and have a disability and are registered with the Be Active scheme, you can swim for free in any adult session.
3. Take your leisure centre card with you
If you have a disability make sure you are registered with the Be Active scheme at your local leisure centre.
Coaching, volunteering and employment
Volunteering for Saxon Crown Swimming Club
Saxon Crown Swimming Club is run almost entirely by volunteers and is always looking to recruit new volunteers.
If any swimmer, parent or existing volunteer has any skills or experience they think may be of benefit to the club, please contact the Club Secretary.
The club offers many incentives to volunteers including:
- free CRB or equivalent background checks (required)
- free ASA and free annual club membership for any non-swimming parent/carer of existing club swimmer (required).
- free or discounted training in child welfare/protection, team management and ASA/British Swimming officials' qualifications (time keepers, judge level 1, level 2 and level 2S)
Becoming an Amateur Swimming Association (ASA) swimming instructor
Teaching swimming is an active and challenging role and new teachers are often needed as demand for lessons increases.
Teaching assistants can earn up to £10 per hour with a level 1 qualification and more if they become a level 2 teacher or coach.
The ASA is a leading provider of aquatic qualifications in England. Gaining these qualifications can cost up to £400 but there are bursaries and grants available from the ASA to help.
Working in one of our leisure centres
There are many different opportunities in our leisure centres. Recruitment is managed by the leisure providers.
All offer training opportunities and are equal opportunities employers.
Jobs and careers with 1Life who manage
Competition swimming and aquatics
As the coordinator for the swimming and aquathlon teams for the annual London Youth Games, Saxon Crown Swimming Club has considerable experience in encouraging and teaching competitive swimming.
The club provides a range of competitive swimming opportunities working within the principles of Long Term Athletic Development (LTAD) as well as offering high level coaching for swimming, open water swimming and swimming for fun and fitness.
They also offer competitive swimming coaching for adults and children with disabilities in the Saxon Crown Tiger Sharks Club and have a masters section for people aged 18 and over.
Saxon Crown athletes have gone on to represent Lewisham at regional, national and international level.
Diving
Although the borough has no dedicated diving school, we enter a diving team in the London Youth Games, have strong links to London Schools diving and are committed to our diving talent ID programmes operated by Saxon Crown.
The National Plan for Teaching Swimming, which is followed in all of our swimming lesson programmes, teaches the fundamental principles of diving.
Octopush – underwater hockey
Octopush is fast and furious aerobic game. It is now played worldwide and you can join in.
Visit the British Octopush Association website for more information and contact details.
Just about anyone who can swim can learn to use a snorkel and a mask. Octopush is open to good swimmers aged 14 and over and disabled swimmers. You don't need to join the club to learn the sport and get stuck in.
The Lewisham underwater hockey club trains at Forest Hill Pools. For more information about training times and sessions contact Alan Quaterman.
Other aquatic sports and activities
Many swimming pools offer water polo, snorkelling and rookie lifeguard training as holiday activities for children, but are looking to expand this in the near future.
Contact your nearest pool for more information about the aquatic sports they provide for fun and fitness: